open or closed trailers

I would like to hear from people who have gone from an open to a closed trailer. What are the advantages and disadvantages to an open vs a closed trailer? Is it more difficult to load and unload? Not being able to climb over the sides to do so. Visibility limited behind while backing? Etc. Etc. Overall do the advantages out wiegh the disadvantages? Let me know what you think.

Welcome to the forum. A helpful tool is the search function at the top right of the screen. This topic has been discussed several times lately and there is a active thread just below this one on this exact topic.

You posted on the State Survey thread that you lived in Granby, Ct. I noticed that you didn't put anything in your profile though. Could you go to your profile and add that so it will show up under your posting name like the rest of us? Thanks

<img src="http://www.elmlawnsite.com/images/bannerpic.jpg" border="0" alt="ELMLawnsite">
^One of the lawns we mow

I have an open with 4 ft sides. Disadvantage is the obvious weather concerns. Nothing ever stolen....out of sigh out of mind. The 4 ft sides are 6 ft off the ground. The thing I like about the open is that I have picked up a trailer full of plants for a job and left them over the weekend without any problems since it is open. I have also picked up loads of mulch when I was in a pinch.

The search should come up with a ton of hits on this one. We have both, encolosed and open. Each have their advantages for certain situations. For daily cutting I prefer open because you can reach across and grab something that you need off of the trailer. Enclosed are good for landscaping crews!

I read some of the other threads on trailer pros & cons and didn't see where anyone talked about the difficulty in starting a recoil start mower in an enclosed trailer. This is one subject that comes up now and then to us as a mower manufacturer. I've been asked if we could rotate the recoil housing to allow starting the engine from behind the Stander. After looking in to it I found #1 that the recoil housing on the Kawasaki 15 & 17 V-twins can not be turned because the mounting bolts are not evenly spaced. #2 the Briggs 16 & 18 could be turned but there are some things on the mower that could interfere with using it that way but also those engines have the manual choke out of reach from the back of the mower.
I have heard that some people with enclosed trailers and recoil start mowers have attached a pulley or eyebolt to the mower to redirect the rope so that they can pull it from the rear. If you do this you should consider that the rope may need to be replaced with a longer one and that the rope should be routed properly so that it doesn't wear and brake.
Anyone with an enclosed trailer should seriously consider buying electric start mowers. We have models that have both eletric and recoil for a back-up in case of elec start system failures.
Some have simply figured out how to store or jockey their mowers in the trailers to allow easier pull starting.

Anyone have anything to add to this?

You could also just wear an elbow pad.(just though i'd say it before someone alse did) LOL

I think there a few factors determining if you need ar can handle an eclosed trailer:

1) Is your truck powerful enough to pull an enclosed trailer? They are not exactly areodynamic.

2) Do you have a place to keep your equipment dry and somewhat warm? If not an e.t. would be nice.

3) Is there high crime in your area? I do not think it is as easy to steal power equipment out of an e.t.

4) Do you have enough money to buy one of these trailors?

5) Can you justify spending the extra bucks?

I would like an enclosed trailor, but I do not have enough pulling power in my truck and I cannot really justify buying one. They do look nice, especially Kirby's trailer. That is one nice setup. Just my two cents.